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Construction Disrupted

Construction Disrupted

Written by: Peter Sumpton & Ryan Jones
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Construction Disrupted is a podcast for people working in the construction industry who need to stay current without drowning in noise. With a focus on the current, real-world issues across the built environment, the stories behind the headlines, the shifts worth your time, and the ideas to get you thinking. No froth, all coffee. Each episode follows a clear 3, 2, 1 structure: 3 headlines. Covering the most relevant and interesting topics from the world of construction. 2 opinions. Straight-talking analysis and debrief that digs deep beyond each headline. Why it matters and what it means for the future. 1 takeaway. Sometimes practical, sometimes actionable, or perhaps something to make you think. Hosted by Peter Sumpton and Ryan Jones, who bring a combined 40 years in construction and marketing, Construction Disrupted is designed for thought-leaders and decision-makers who prefer podcasts with more substance and less spin. We know the backdrop, fragmented supply chains, rising costs, skills gaps and sustainability pressures, and we won’t rehash doom for the sake of it. Instead, we move past the headlines and delve into the topics that are shaping the industry today, tomorrow, and probably a couple more days after that. Subscribe and join us every week – most weeks, anyway. Expect clear thinking, dry humour and the occasional soapbox moment.Copyright 2026, Peter Sumpton (buildDifferent) & Ryan Jones (SLG Agency) Economics Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Did We Mention 1.5 Million Homes? | Episode 121

    Did We Mention 1.5 Million Homes? | Episode 121
    Jun 24 2026
    Construction Disrupted Episode 121 - Did We Mention 1.5 Million Homes? (24.06.26) in partnership with Adobe Acrobat Studio. Check them out and show them some love.In this episode, we're discussing the future of the UK's built environment if the King of the North was elected, the impact of AI on planning, and the architectural lowlights of the past two years. Dive into our three featured stories for a comprehensive look at policy, technology, and design in Britain. Let's go!What would prime minister Burnham look like for the built environment?Andy Burnham's potential as UK Prime Minister signals a major shift for housing, infrastructure, and skills. His agenda prioritises:Social Housing: Burnham advocates for a massive increase in council housebuilding, aiming for 500,000 new social rent homes by 2030 and ending Right to Buy. He proposes redirecting existing funding and exploring innovative financing, such as local tax supplements and land value capture.Infrastructure: He supports reviving HS2 between Birmingham and Manchester, but with a slower, cheaper model funded partly by local taxpayers. Burnham also champions the Northern Powerhouse Rail and improved regional transport links.Skills & Education: Burnham’s MBacc program in Greater Manchester offers a technical education pathway, focusing on sectors like construction and the green economy. He envisions nationwide rollout, guaranteeing work placements for 16–18-year-olds. While ambitious, these plans may face fiscal and political constraints, but they mark a clear intent to reshape the built environment.AI tool to slash planning decision times as government accelerates push to build 1.5 million homesThe UK government has introduced two AI tools to modernise England’s planning system:AI Prototype for Applications: Currently in early testing, this tool aims to halve the processing time for householder planning applications from 8 to 4 weeks. It triages and summarises applications, supporting planning officers in decision-making.Extract Tool: Now available to all councils, Extract digitises decades-old planning documents, saving an estimated 250,000 hours annually. This streamlines access to planning data and supports faster, more reliable decisions. These innovations are part of a broader push to build 1.5 million homes, reduce administrative burdens, and accelerate housing delivery. Importantly, all AI-assisted decisions are reviewed by qualified officers, ensuring professional oversight.The Carbuncle Cup 2026The Carbuncle Cup 2026 highlights the worst new buildings in Britain, as judged by a panel of experts and public nominations. This year’s (dis)honours go to:Astley Warehouses: Criticised for its scale, poor design, and as a symbol of bureaucracy and greed over quality of life.Filigree: Noted for technical failures, resident displacement, and failing to deliver on affordable housing promises. Other shortlisted buildings include Robeson House, Belgrove, Aspen Tower, and Art’otel in Hoxton, each exemplifying issues like incoherent design, poor integration, and value engineering gone wrong. The Cup serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of prioritising scale and cost over community and quality.BiosRyan Jones - SLG AgencyFor almost 20 years, Ryan’s focus has been on helping brands in the construction and manufacturing sectors tell their story.His career began in PR, working for global businesses across a variety of sectors, before opting to focus on construction and the built environment.In his role as Managing Director, Ryan works to ensure that SLG Agency continues to be one of the construction industry's leading specialist strategic and creative agencies, having seen its work recognised by the likes of Campaign, Marketing Week and The Drum in recent years.Ryan is regularly asked to speak at trade shows and events, and to contribute thought leadership pieces to trade media. He is also a member of several industry advisory boards, including Constructing Excellence and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.His passion for the construction sector has seen him work with clients on CSR campaigns that tackle the sector’s public perception, culminating in him recently launching a not-for-profit called Deconstruction.Peter Sumpton - buildDifferentPeter is a construction–marketing strategist and co-host of Construction Disrupted. With two decades’ experience spanning manufacturers, contractors and agencies, he helps organisations swap scattergun activity for clear strategy, joined-up planning and measurable outcomes.His approach is practical and plain-spoken: cut the noise, focus on what moves the numbers, and build repeatable systems that teams can actually use.Having seen first-hand how unfocused tactics waste time and budget, Peter works with leaders to align commercial goals, customer insight and content so marketing supports delivery rather than distracting from it.Peter's passion lies in diagnosing organisations' ...
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    40 mins
  • Unlocking 500,000 Houses | Episode 120

    Unlocking 500,000 Houses | Episode 120
    Jun 17 2026
    Construction Disrupted Episode 120 - Unlocking 500,000 Houses (17.06.26) in partnership with Adobe Acrobat Studio. Check them out and show them some love.In this episode, we're discussing the latest in UK infrastructure, housing regeneration, and construction project delivery. From renewed investor confidence in infrastructure, to ambitious plans for housing-led regeneration in the North, and new evidence on how early contractor involvement can transform project outcomes. Let's go!Investment sentiment in UK infrastructure improving despite geopolitical instability, survey findsInvestor confidence in UK infrastructure is at its highest since 2023, even amid global and domestic uncertainty. The UK now outperforms several European peers for infrastructure investment attractiveness.This optimism is driven by government efforts to address regulatory challenges, especially in the water sector, and to improve accountability. However, regulatory complexity and political instability remain significant barriers. Notably, more investors plan to deploy $2–3 billion in UK infrastructure over the next year, with a growing focus on net zero projects. Maintaining a strong project pipeline and a stable regulatory environment is essential to sustain this positive momentum.Housing-led regeneration could unlock 500,000 homes in the North with the right support, report saysA Northern Housing Consortium report finds that targeted regeneration could unlock over 500,000 homes in the North of England. Key recommendations include a £500 million annual regeneration fund devolved to mayoral authorities, a dedicated regeneration finance facility via Homes England, and a minister for regeneration.The report suggests these measures could accelerate 100,000 homes through town centre densification, unlock 320,000 homes on brownfield land, and improve 100,000 existing homes. The right framework would enable more social and affordable housing and transform communities in need of investment.Early contractor involvement cuts project cost overruns, study findsA major study by the Centre for Construction Best Practice shows that early contractor involvement (ECI) in public sector projects significantly reduces cost overruns and delays. Projects with contractors engaged at the earliest design stages (RIBA 0–2) delivered on or below budget, while late appointments (RIBA 4) saw average cost overruns of 17.35%.Despite this, most public sector projects still use late-stage procurement, exposing them to avoidable risks. The report recommends mandating ECI by RIBA Stage 2, strengthening public sector capability, and introducing mandatory value checks. Early engagement enables innovation and better project certainty, crucial for future public investments.BiosRyan Jones - SLG AgencyFor almost 20 years, Ryan’s focus has been on helping brands in the construction and manufacturing sectors tell their story.His career began in PR, working for global businesses across a variety of sectors, before opting to focus on construction and the built environment.In his role as Managing Director, Ryan works to ensure that SLG Agency continues to be one of the construction industry's leading specialist strategic and creative agencies, having seen its work recognised by the likes of Campaign, Marketing Week and The Drum in recent years.Ryan is regularly asked to speak at trade shows and events, and to contribute thought leadership pieces to trade media. He is also a member of several industry advisory boards, including Constructing Excellence and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.His passion for the construction sector has seen him work with clients on CSR campaigns that tackle the sector’s public perception, culminating in him recently launching a not-for-profit called Deconstruction.Peter Sumpton - buildDifferentPeter is a construction–marketing strategist and co-host of Construction Disrupted. With two decades’ experience spanning manufacturers, contractors and agencies, he helps organisations swap scattergun activity for clear strategy, joined-up planning and measurable outcomes.His approach is practical and plain-spoken: cut the noise, focus on what moves the numbers, and build repeatable systems that teams can actually use.Having seen first-hand how unfocused tactics waste time and budget, Peter works with leaders to align commercial goals, customer insight and content so marketing supports delivery rather than distracting from it.Peter's passion lies in diagnosing organisations' marketing functions' capabilities and existing market, assembling what’s required to create a functional strategy, fit for purpose and scalable.Marketing should create value, not just cost, and Peter’s work is about making that the norm.
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    36 mins
  • A Familia Story For UK Construction | Episode 119

    A Familia Story For UK Construction | Episode 119
    Jun 10 2026
    Construction Disrupted Episode 119 - A Familia Story For UK Construction (10.06.26) in partnership with Adobe Acrobat Studio. Check them out and show them some love.In this episode, we're delving into the evolving landscape of the UK construction industry, examining market trends, workforce initiatives, and efforts to address skills shortages. Each headline provides insight into a major development that is set to shaping the sector’s future. Let's go:Is UK commercial construction experiencing a comeback?The UK construction sector continues to face significant challenges, with Glenigan’s June 2026 Construction Index showing a 7% drop in project starts over the last quarter and a 23% decline year-on-year. The industry is grappling with persistent economic uncertainty, political distractions, and the ongoing Middle East conflict, all of which have contributed to a subdued market. Residential construction remains particularly weak, with private housing starts falling sharply due to affordability issues and reduced investor confidence. Civil engineering and infrastructure projects have also seen notable declines, reflecting a lack of momentum in planned capital works.Despite these headwinds, there are signs of resilience in non-residential construction. Office projects have experienced remarkable growth, buoyed by major developments in London, while retail and leisure sectors have shown modest gains, hinting at a tentative return of consumer confidence. Public sector construction, especially in education and health, has also posted positive results.Regionally, London stands out with strong performance, largely driven by office construction, while other areas show mixed results. Although the overall outlook remains cautious, these pockets of growth suggest that a broader recovery could be on the horizon if economic conditions stabilise.Construction careers campaign could help tackle rising youth unemployment, says CIOBThe Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) emphasises the importance of targeted careers campaigns to address both rising youth unemployment and the construction sector’s skills shortages. With an aging workforce and a growing need for skilled professionals, the CIOB advocates for greater collaboration between industry, government, and educational institutions.By promoting construction as a viable and rewarding career path, and by connecting young people with training and apprenticeship opportunities, such campaigns can help bridge the gap between job seekers and employers. These efforts are seen as essential not only for reducing youth unemployment but also for ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of the construction industry.CITB launches Accelerated Apprenticeships to boost homebuilding and tackle regional skills shortagesThe Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has launched Accelerated Apprenticeships as part of a broader strategy to meet the government’s target of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029 and to address regional skills shortages.This innovative programme allows apprentices to complete their training in as little as 14 to 18 months, compared to the traditional two to three years, by combining intensive early learning with structured block release and on-site experience. The initial rollout targets regions with high housing demand and training gaps, including Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, Kent, and Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire. CITB is supporting colleges and training providers with setup funding and ongoing assistance, aiming to increase apprenticeship uptake and completion rates.The programme also places a strong emphasis on long-term employment outcomes, ensuring that trainees are well-prepared for sustained careers in homebuilding. By accelerating the training process and aligning it with local labour market needs, CITB hopes to create a more resilient and responsive construction workforce.Lego gets Familia: https://www.dezeen.com/2026/06/04/lego-sagrada-familia-largest-set-antoni-gaudi/)BiosRyan Jones - SLG AgencyFor almost 20 years, Ryan’s focus has been on helping brands in the construction and manufacturing sectors tell their story.His career began in PR, working for global businesses across a variety of sectors, before opting to focus on construction and the built environment.In his role as Managing Director, Ryan works to ensure that SLG Agency continues to be one of the construction industry's leading specialist strategic and creative agencies, having seen its work recognised by the likes of Campaign, Marketing Week and The Drum in recent years.Ryan is regularly asked to speak at trade shows and events, and to contribute thought leadership pieces to trade media. He is also a member of several industry advisory boards, including Constructing Excellence and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.His passion for the construction sector has seen him work with clients on CSR campaigns that tackle the sector’s ...
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    35 mins
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